Semi Lyra
The Semi Lyra are Japanese 4.5×6 folders. There are two distinct generations: this page describes the models made before and during the war by Fuji Kōgaku. The models made in the 1950s by Katsuma Kōgaku are described in the page Semi Lyra (postwar). General description The prewar and wartime Semi Lyra (セミライラ) was made by Fuji Kōgaku. It is a vertical folder, copy of the Ikonta, with a folding optical finder and a key at the bottom right to advance the film. The back is hinged to the left and contains two red windows, protected by a common horizontally sliding cover. The camera is simply embossed LYRA in the front leather, a FUJI KŌGAKU logo is embossed in the back leather and FUJI KOGAKU logos are engraved in the folding struts. The Semi Lyra is not uncommon, at least in Japan, and it is not renowned for its quality of construction, a hint of this being that many examples are found with torn bellows. Original model The original model (sometimes called "Semi Lyra I"), introduced in 1936 Date of the first advertisements mentioned by , p. 342. , has no body release and has a leather handle over the back latch. In an advertisement dated September 1937 Advertisement published in the September 1937 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced in in two parts, p. 100. , four variants are listed: * Pionar f:6.3 lens and Picco shutter ( ); * Terionar f:4.5 lens and Noblo shutter ( ); This variant is pictured in Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten, p. 15. * Terionar f:3.5 lens and Noblo shutter ( ); * Goldar Inferred from the katakana ゴールダー. f:3.5 lens and Noblo shutter ( ). The three first variants were already advertised in December 1936 by the distributor Yamamoto Shashinki-ten, for the same price. Advertisement published in the December 13, 1936 issue of Sunday Mainichi, reproduced in the camera company page of the Gochamaze website. The Goldar lens probably has four elements: a Goldar 75/3.5 lens is advertised as such with the original Lyra Flex. Advertisement for the Lyra Flex published in the March 1938 issue of Ars Camera, reproduced in , p.&nbp;101. The Picco shutter has T, B, 25, 50, 100 speeds and also equips the Baby Lyra. The Noblo shutter has T, B, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200 speeds. Both are everset shutters. The aperture scale is at the bottom of the shutter plate. The shutter plate is also written NOBLO or Picco in handwritten style at the top, and on the right there is a logo with Fk in a circle (surely for Fuji Kōgaku), meant to look like the FD logo of the Compur shutter. The original model is still mentioned in an advertisement dated September 1938 Advertisement for the Lyra range, published in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera. as a cheaper alternative to the newer model, with f:4.5 lens ( ) or f:3.5 lens ( ). At least one example has been observed with the newer Fujikō B shutter. New Semi Lyra The New Semi Lyra (sometimes called "Semi Lyra II") This model is called "Semi Lyra II" by , but the advertisement reproduced is only written 新型セミライラ, whose translation is "New Semi Lyra". is the same model with a body release, on the left of the top plate. Two new shutters are introduced, the Fujikō B (T, B, 5–250) and the Fujikō A (T, B, 1–300). The shutter plates are black, marked FUJIKō at the top and FUJIKŌGAKU at the bottom. The aperture scale is now above the shutter housing. Various lens/shutter combinations are reported: * Pionar f:6.3 lens and Picco shutter; * Terionar f:4.5 lens and Picco shutter; * Terionar f:4.5 lens and Fujikō B shutter ( in 1937 and 1938); * Terionar f:3.5 lens and Fujikō B shutter ( in 1937 and 1938); * Goldar f:4.5 lens and Fujikō B shutter; * Terionar f:4.5 lens and Fujikō A shutter ( in 1938); * Terionar f:3.5 lens and Fujikō A shutter ( in 1938). The 1937 prices come from an advertisement for the Semi Lyra, published in the December 1937 issue of Ars Camera, reproduced in , p. 100. — The 1938 prices come from an advertisement for the Lyra range, published in the September 1938 issue of Asahi Camera. — The variants with no price indicated are simply mentioned in , p. 342. Semi Lyra F The Semi Lyra F (セミライラＦ型) has a new type of back latch consisting of a long sliding bar, with no leather handle. It is equipped with a new Fujikō F 1–200 shutter. The shutter plate is yellowish with black markings. These markings are almost the same as on the previous shutters, except that FUJIKō at the top is written in two parts: FUJ and IKō, with a black arrow between both. Two variants are offered: * Terionar f:4.5 lens ( in 1941, in 1942); * Terionar f:3.5 lens ( in 1941, in 1942). The 1941 prices come from an advertisement for the Lyra range, published in the May 1941 issue of Shashin Bunka, reproduced in , p. 100. — The 1942 prices come from an advertisement for the Lyra range, published in the July 29, 1942 issue of Asahi Graph, reproduced in a page of prewar and wartime advertisements for Japanese cameras at the Gochamaze website. Notes Bibliography * Items 292–4. (See also the advertisement for the item 164.) * Pp. 328. * Omoide no supuringu-kamera-ten (思い出のスプリングカメラ展, Exhibition of beloved self-erecting cameras). Tokyo: JCII Camera Museum, 1992. (Exhibition catalogue, no ISBN number.) P. 15. Links In Japanese: * Semi Lyra and other folders at Puppy's Island * Advertisements reproduced in the Japanese camera page, the 120 film camera page and the camera company page of the Gochamaze website: ** Advertisement for the Semi Lyra and Baby Lyra, published in the December 13, 1936 issue of Sunday Mainichi ** Advertisement for the Semi Lyra, published in the July 29, 1942 issue of Asahi Graph * A sample picture taken by a Semi Lyra at the AJCC website * Restoration of a Semi Lyra F and sample pictures at Shiroto shashinki shūri kōbō Lyra (prewar), Semi Category: S Lyra (prewar), Semi